Simon Calder's Travel Week
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I (Global Travel Editor Annabel Grossman) have always been a bit of a fan of capital cities – especially the ones that haven't quite realised their own charm. There's something very pleasant about slipping into the rhythms of city life in a place that isn't overly catered to tourists. I've fallen in love with Kampala, gotten lost among the streets of Santiago and, most recently, taken a shine to Phnom Penh. It was the latter that got me thinking about under-appreciated Asian cities – especially at a time that many of us are jetting on to the better-known metropolises in the region for a dose of winter sun.
Simon Calder shared with me some of his favourite urban spots in South East Asia. More than a few were far from the 21st-century skyline-scraping cities dotted across Asia. He said: "The ancient royal city of Luang Prabang was home to the last Lao monarch, King Savang Vatthana, deposed when Vietnam-backed communists took power in 1975. Today the sleepy city beside the Mekong is part Unesco World Heritage site, part dream backpacker destination." |
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Royal Palace of Cambodia in Phnom Penh |
Simon added: "Penang is my favourite Malaysian island (and yes I have checked the others). One reason: handsome George Town, the capital, with the Eastern & Oriental Hotel as a treat at the end of a South East Asian exploration."
Deputy travel editor Sophie Dickinson spent a couple of weeks in India at the end of summer. It was Amritsar that came away as her city of choice. She said: "The city has a pivotal role in Indian history, which is diligently detailed in the very thorough Partition Museum. Nearby is the Golden Temple, the holiest site in the Sikh religion and one of the most moving places I've ever visited. After walking around the central pool, head to the community kitchen, where more than 100,000 Langar meals are served to visitors each day. While Amritsar attracts religious pilgrims and domestic tourists, its wide boulevards and historic plazas feel decidedly more peaceful than the capital." |
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